Shingle-gage.



No. 693,054. P atente d Feb. n, I902.

' NELSON.

GLE G (A ice. ipn fihzd Nov. 1901.

(No Model.)

% I I co'oo 50000 awuewtoz 61 Hot/1121.3

UNITED STATES ATET FREDERICK L. NELSON, OF ALTA, IOIVA.

SHlNGLE-GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,054, dated February 1 1, 1902.

Application filed November 19, 1901. Serial No. 82,830. (No model.)

a citizen of the United States, residing at Alta,

in the county of Buena Vista and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shingle-Gages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in shingling-gagesz'. a, devicesfor facilitating the layingof courses of shingles in proper relative positions; and it has for its general object to provide a shingling-gage which is at once simple and inexpensive in construction, susceptible of ready adjustment, so as to enable a workman to lay the shingles with the desired proportion thereof exposed to the weather, and adapted to be expeditiously secured in its operative position on a roof or the like without entailing the driving of nails or barbs into the shingles and the consequent formation of leaks.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view illustrating my improved gage in its proper operative position on a roof; Fig. 2, an enlarged transverse section taken in the plane of the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a detail plan view illustrating the manner in which the shanks of the shingle-engaging hooks are adjust-ably connected to the body-bar of the gage. V

In the said drawings similar letters of ref.- erence designate corresponding parts in a of the views, referring to which- Ais the body-bar of the improved gage,

which is preferably of sheet-steel and has a depending flange or abutment a along its upper longitudinal edge; and B B are shingle engaging hooks, adjustably connected to the body-bar, so that the distance between them and the lip or flange a is varied for a purpose presently described. The adjustable connection of the hooks to the body-bar may be effected in the manner shownthat is, through the medium of bolts 1), passed through coincident apertures 0 din the body-bar and the hook-shanks 6, respectively, and equipped with nuts f. I provide the body-bar A adjacent to each end with two rows of apertures c and arrange the apertures of one row opposite the spaces-between the apertures of the adjacent rowthis to provide a great range of adjustment without weakening the body-bar, as would be the casewere the apertures arranged close together in a single row across said bar.

In using my improved gage the same is first adjusted to increase or diminish the distance between the bights of the hooks B and the flange C6, and thereby fix the proportion of the shingles to be exposed to the weather. The gage is then placed on a roof in the manner shown-that is, with the sharp ends g of the hooks below the lower ends of shingles in a course that has been laid. With this done the ends of the shingles rest in the hooks and by reason of their resiliency operate to press and securely hold the ends g of the hooks against the roof and effectually prevent casual movement or displacement of the gage. The shingles of the next upper course are nowlaid with their lower ends against the lip or flange a and are nailed to the roof in the usual manner,after which the gage is disengaged from the first-mentioned course and placed in engagement with the second course. This operation is repeated until the roof is shingled to its top.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that my improved gage is calculated to materially facilitate the laying of courses of shingles with the proper proportion of each shingle exposed to the weather; also, that it is a material improvement over those gages which in practice are either nailed or fastened by barbs to the shingled roof. This latter is so because when a gage is nailed or. fastened by barbs the disconnection of the gage after the laying of a course of shingles is attended by considerable difiiculty and also because the nails or barbs leave leaks in the shingleroof.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A shingle-gage comprising a body-bar having the depending flange or abutment and also having two transverse rows of apertures; the apertures of one row being disposed 0pposite the spaces between the apertures of the other row, a hook adapted to receive the lower end of ashingle and having anaperposed on the body-bar, and bolts secured in tnre shank, and a bolt secured in coincident coincident apertures of the body-bar and apertures of the body-bar and hook-shank. hook-shanks.

2. The shingle-gage comprising the body- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set :5 5 bar having the depending flange orabn tment I my hand in presence of two subscribing Witand alsohaving tworows of apertures adjanesses. cent to its opposite ends; the apertures of one row being disposed opposite the spaces be- 'FERICK NELSON tween the apertures 0f the adjacent row, the Witnesses: 1o hooks adapted to receive the lower ends of G. O. HUTSON,

shingles, and having aperturcd shanks dis- A. V. CONVERSE. 

